Imam Shafi’ee

Abu Abdulillah Muhammad bin Idrees ash Shafi'ee

Imam Shafi’ee (RH) was born in the year 150 AH which was the year the Great Imam Abu Hanifah had passed away in. He was born in Gaza in Palestine.Imam Shafi'ee belonged to the Qurayshi Clan of Banu Mutallib, the sister clan of the Banu Hashim (to which the Prophet (SAW) belonged.

At the age of two, the Imam's father passed away in Syria so his mother decided to move to Makkah. The maternal family of Imam Shafi'ee (RH) were from Yemen and there were more members of the family in Makkah where his mother believed he would be better taken care of. He had a very good memory and memorised the whole Quran by the age of seven. He then began to study Fiqh and memorised the most popular book of Fiqh at the time; Imam Malik (RH)'s Muwatta', by the age of ten. 

Imam Shafi'ee (RH) then moved to Madinah to acquire further knowledge, as was the tradition at the time. His mother could not afford paper, so he would write his lessons on bones. In Madinah he was taught by the famous Imam Malik ibn Anas (RH).

He was an accomplished archer, a poet, and some accounts call him the most eloquent of his time. Some accounts claim that there were a group of Bedouins who would come and sit only to listen to him, not for the sake of learning, but just to listen to the Imam's eloquent use of language.

One of his companions, Ibn Hisham, noted that “I never heard him [Imam Shafi'i (RH)] use anything other than a word which, carefully considered, one would not find a better word in the entire Arabic language.”

Distinctive characteristics of Imam Shafi'ee (RH)

-He keenly practiced upon attributes that were praised within Ahaadeeth and Qur’an, and was a flawless exemplary character.                                   

-Independence and generosity: Imam Shafi’ee (R.A) restrained himself from the rest of the world; he was independent, generous, broad-minded and very understanding.                                                                                              

-Intelligence and eloquence: Abu Ubayd has related that, "I have never seen anyone as knowledgeable and talented as Shafi’ee (R.A), and no-one as perfect as him."

Description and appearance    

-Handsome: Muzani has narrated, "I have never seen anyone as handsome as Imam Shafi’ee (R.A). The complexion of his cheeks was fair, and when he used to stroke his beard it was never more than a handful.

- He liked scent. Whichever pillar he used to lean against whilst teaching, the fragrance would linger onto the pillar." 

Having studied both schools of fiqh, as well as having a vast knowledge of authentic hadith, Imam al-Shafi’ee sought to introduce a clear methodology for fiqh – known as usul al-fiqh. It was meant to provide a reasonable way to derive Islamic law. In it, Imam al-Shafi’ee outlines four main sources from which Islamic law can be derived:

1. The Quran

2. The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad   

3. Consensus (agreement) among the Muslim community

4. Qiyas           

His Death:
The Imam became very sick at the end of his life and passed away in Egypt on Thursday night after Isha Prayer after performing Maghrib Prayer on the last day of Rajab. He was buried in Cairo, Egypt on Friday in the year 204 A.H. (819/820 A.D.) 

May Allah be pleased with him. Ameen.